The Case of Hammarkullen, Sweden

Bulletin of Geography. Socio–economic Series / No. 40 (2018): 83–99 BULLETIN OF GEOGRAPHY. SOCIO–ECONOMIC SERIES DE journal homepages: http://www.bulletinofgeography.umk.pl/ http://wydawnictwoumk.pl/czasopisma/index.php/BGSS/index http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/bog ISSN 1732–4254 quarterly G The role of trust in shaping urban planning in local communities: The case of Hammarkullen, Sweden Stina HanssonCDFMR University of Gothenburg, Faculty of Social Sciences – School of Global Studies, Konstepidemins väg 2, 405 30 Gothenburg, Swe- den; e-mail: [email protected] How to cite: Hansson, S. (2018). The role of trust in shaping urban planning in local communities: The case of Hammarkullen, Sweden.Bul - letin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, 40(40), 83–99. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2478/bog-2018-0016 Abstract. Urban planning is increasingly focusing on the social aspect of sustain- Article details: ability. The 2014 report Differences in Living Conditions and Health in Gothen- Received: 11 December 2017 burg shows important and increasing inequalities between different parts of the Revised: 19 February 2018 city, a development seen in cities across the world. The city of Gothenburg has Accepted: 26 February 2018 set as its goal the decrease in inequalities by joining forces with civil society, the private sector, academia and people living in the city. Participation and inclusion become important tools in city planning processes for the authorities to understand local conditions, particularly to understand the living conditions of people in socio-economically marginalised areas, whose voices are rarely listened to, and to enable their active participation in shaping outcomes. In this article, we explore the role of trust in improving urban planning, and in shaping possibilities for participation that is positively experienced, in the sense that it increases people’s sense of control over their neighbourhoods. Based on empirical work in Hammarkullen, a socio-economically marginalised area in Gothenburg, the article shows how specific local configurations of trust have an impact on local development plans. It further shows how participatory practices coarticulate with the local social situation to shape outcomes in a certain way. Grounded in the empirical study, the paper argues for the importance of understanding the local conditions Key words: of trust and how they interact with planning processes in shaping outcomes and trust, future possibilities of cooperation. Further, the paper argues for the need to take participation, the local conditions of trust into account early in the planning phase. urban planning © 2018 Nicolaus Copernicus University. All rights reserved. Contents: 1. Introduction . 84 2. Hammarkullen and the role of participation in Gothenburg city planning .................... 85 3. Inequality, urban planning and trust ...................................................... 87 © 2018 Nicolaus Copernicus University. All rights reserved. © 2018 De Gruyter Open (on-line). 84 Stina Hansson / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 40 (2018): 83–99 4. Method .............................................................................. 89 5. Local conditions of trust and participation in city planning—the case of Hammarkullen . 90 5.1. Narratives of distrust................................................................ 90 5.2. Development of the local centre...................................................... 91 5.3. Dialogue ......................................................................... 92 5.4. Renovation of an outdoor space .................................................. 93 6. Concluding discussion ................................................................ 95 Notes ................................................................................... 96 References .............................................................................. 96 1. Introduction in the 2017 budget, and the programme for Equal Gothenburg constitutes the framework for focusing on social sustainability in urban planning. One of As in other major cities, inequalities in living con- the four target areas of the programme is to cre- ditions and health between districts in Gothenburg, ate conditions for participation, influence and trust Sweden’s second city, are important and increasing (Göteborgs Stad, 2017: 16). Participation, inclusion (Göteborgs Stad, 2017). As a basis for policies to and trust are considered determinants of health in overcome inequalities, Gothenburg will regular- their own right, but they are also emphasised be- ly publish data on inequalities in living conditions cause of their importance for better redistributive and health in the city. These entrenched inequali- policies. The purpose of participation is threefold: ties are a result of social norms and politics, as well to increase democratic decision-making, to improve as practices that over a long period of time have knowledge of local conditions and hence to better created an unjust division of power and resources adapt interventions, and to increase local ownership in the urban space (CSDH, 2008:10). In Gothen- and people’s control over their lives. burg, these resources are unevenly distributed be- Planning in general and planning for sustaina- tween districts and subdistricts, a fact that is most ble development have been criticised both for the clearly reflected in a nine-year difference in life -ex application of top-down instrumental rationalities pectancy between the richest and the poorest dis- based on the perspectives and interests of planners tricts, but also in different rates of participation in and for a weak adjustment to local conditions and elections and in the percentage of the population needs. Participation has been a response to several who experience social isolation and lack of trust in facets of critique, related to the rights-based agen- others. Sustainable urban planning has, as a conse- da, increasingly pluralistic societies, and the rise of quence of the growing awareness of the disrupting control and auditing in public management (Swain, effects of inequality (Wilkinson, Pickett, 2009), in- Tait, 2007). However, it has been established that creasingly come to involve social equity and social trust is a determinant of the effectiveness of partici- cohesion as a complement to environmental protec- patory planning processes (Senecah, 2004:20). Trust tion and economic development. is crucial to achieve cooperation between local au- Various efforts have been made in Gothenburg thorities and populations, as it constitutes a way to to strengthen the redistributive urban develop- deal with uncertainty and risk (Axelrod, 1984; Tom- ment policies through knowledge production, co- kins, 2001; Volery, Mansik, 1998). It makes partici- operation, citizen participation and systematisation pation and cooperation possible, as it allows people of local social experiences in planning processes to express their interests and needs and to invest (Tahvilzadeh, 2015a: 24). In 2016, the city coun- in joint planning processes. Trust is here defined cil made the resolution that “Gothenburg shall be as “the willingness to be vulnerable based on posi- an equal city” a budget goal, which was repeated Stina Hansson / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 40 (2018): 83–99 85 tive expectations of the intentions and actions of the Hammarkullen, a socio-economically marginalised other” (Rousseau et al., 1998). area in a peri-urban district of Gothenburg, Swe- The participation and inclusion of groups who den. In early 2016, the chief executives of four mu- feel and have reason to feel distrust in authorities nicipal administrations and companies—the city and administrations as a result of segregation and district office, the local municipal housing company, inequality are not necessarily easily achieved. Dis- the park and nature management office (hereinafter: trust often leads people to choose not to partici- PoN), and GöteborgsLokaler—decided to cooperate pate in the shared concerns of the community, such to lower the thresholds between themselves in or- as democratic elections or other fora for influence. der to better address the needs of Hammarkullen. Distrust decreases the legitimacy of public institu- The initiative was picked up by a city-wide initia- tions, and people can also choose to turn against tive, Equal Gothenburg, and by one of its focus areas them (Uslaner, 2002). Of importance for people’s (1), to create sustainable and equal human habitats, willingness to participate in the shared concerns of as a pilot case to explore the effects when the whole the community is a positive expectation that their city joins forces to strengthen a part of a city dis- perspectives, interests, and needs will be taken into trict. The purpose of the initiative was to show re- consideration. There is a need for trust in public in- sults, increase the pace of positive development, stitutions and services. strengthen trust in the ‘city’ among inhabitants and The literature on trust in public institutions stakeholders and develop a new way of working, tends to distinguish between one actor who is sup- with increased cooperation within the municipality posed to trust (trustor), and another actor who is and more citizen participation. The study looks at supposed to be trusted (trustee). In general, the how planning processes and participatory practices population is supposed to trust the institution, and interact

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